The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Name: The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Author: StemPy Lab

Radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma radiation are one family.

We lay them on a scale of wavelength and frequency.
Then we ask where each comes from, how it is detected and what it does.
The ozone layer, the greenhouse effect and the ionosphere that bounces radio waves close the course.
It serves the Indian syllabus (NCERT, JEE Main, NEET) and the matching topic of A-Level, IB and AP.

3 lessons, about 1 h 35 min3 simulations10 problems6 practice questionsPython in every lesson

Created by StemPy Lab

Course outline (3 lessons)

Lesson 1about 30 min
From radio waves to gamma rays
A TV remote, a microwave oven and a hospital X-ray machine all use the same kind of wave. Electromagnetic waves run from radio waves to gamma rays, and what changes along the line is the frequency. All of them travel at $c$ in vacuum, so a larger frequency means a shorter wavelength and a larger photon energy. Visible light is only a thin slice of the spectrum.
1 simulation2 practice questions1 Python program3 problems1 Python lab
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Lesson 2about 30 min
Sources, detectors and uses
Each band has its own way of being made, found and used. Radio waves come from oscillating charges in circuits, and microwaves from special electron tubes. Infrared comes from hot bodies, and visible light and ultraviolet come from electrons in atoms. X-rays come from fast electrons stopped in metal, and gamma rays come from nuclei. Wien's law tells where a hot body shines most strongly. The higher bands carry more energy in each photon and can harm living cells.
1 simulation2 practice questions1 Python program3 problems
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Lesson 3about 35 min
The atmosphere, the ozone layer and the ionosphere
The atmosphere treats each band in its own way. The ozone layer takes in the harmful ultraviolet. The greenhouse gases take in the infrared that the ground sends out. The ionosphere sends short-wave radio back to the ground, and it lets higher frequencies through. A wave of frequency above the critical frequency, $9\sqrt{N}$ , goes up through a layer with $N$ electrons in each cubic metre.
1 simulation2 practice questions1 Python program4 problems1 Python lab1 question set1 note
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The Electromagnetic Spectrum: Timed Test

JEE Main format10 questions · 25 min

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The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Course outline (3 lessons)

From radio waves to gamma rays

Sources, detectors and uses

The atmosphere, the ozone layer and the ionosphere

Test Your Learning

Your teacher

Discussion (0)